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According to the U.S. Government's American Holidays site, popular New Year's resolutions are as follows:
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- Drink less alcohol.
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- Eat healthy food.
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- Get a better education.
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- Get a better job.
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- Get fit.
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- Lose weight.
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- Manage debt.
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- Manage stress.
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- Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
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- Save money.
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- Take a trip.
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- Volunteer to help others.
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Pretty typical, right? A quick poll around the What's Up? headquarters yielded similar results.
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One of my coworkers told me she wanted to take more time for herself, another is taking the "no fast food" route, and still another said that she wants to be more positive. That means venting and complaining less.
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And, in a moment of particular honesty, our Web and Social Media Specialist, Lindsay, said, "You know, I haven't even thought about it. But, I think I'm going to make the same old eat healthy and get in shape resolution that everyone makes."
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Now, I think we can all agree that the hard part about making a New Year's resolution is sticking to it. Lucky for us, there are plenty of resources to which we can turn. A quick Google search of "Sticking to a New Year's Resolution," gave me about 59,700,000 results.
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But, if you don't want to go through the minimal hassle of doing an online search, I can tell you that they all have a few similar pointers. Don't set too many goals, keep them simple, and cut out the negativity.
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It's a lot easier to keep one clear resolution, like "I want to take part in the Polar Bear Plunge," or "I want to quit smoking by July," than it is to keep "I want to volunteer," and "I want to quit smoking." And, it's much healthier to achieve rather than avoid. Think "I will exercise three times a week" instead of "I will lose weight." (I'm looking at you, main image for this post.)
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If your New Year's resolution happens to revolve around doing more regional philanthropy, check out the Giving Back page each month in What's Up? Annapolis and What's Up? Eastern Shore. It's directly after the calendar, and has a great list of charitable events that will let you support your community.
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If eating healthy is your goal, take a look at the Food & Dining section of the mags, or at our Food Editor, Kelsey's, blog, The Bent Fork. And, for tips on getting in shape and staying healthy, turn to the Thrive section in print and online.
